360 A HISTORY OP THE PERCHEBON HORSE 



Progress in Iowa. — The number of breeders in 

 Iowa increased from 66 in 1890 to 204 in 1900, more 

 tlian trebling during the hard times. Singmaster & 

 Sons, H. G. McMillan, L. H. Humbert, M. L. Ayres, 

 William Sprole, J. H. Bamett, L. G. Parker and 

 H. S. Hoyman were the leading breeders of this 

 period. 



The Singmasters continued operations along the 

 same general lines as in the '80 's, but leased a good 

 many mares and sold some on a share basis, agree- 

 ing to take the first 3 colts at weaning time in full 

 payment for the mare. The mares kept at the home 

 farms ran out on pasture and received scant atten- 

 tion during the hard times, but breeding was kept 

 up and many colts raised, although records were 

 not kept as carefully as they should have been. The 

 breeding was done largely in hit or miss fashion, 

 without making special effort to mate certain mares 

 to sires best suited to them in type and bloodlines. 

 As a consequence the horses bred during this time 

 lacked uniformity in type, color and prepotency. 

 These faults were so apparent that they have of 

 their own weight forced a revision of policy. Prog- 

 ress has been marked in later years, but nothing of 

 consequence was done by the firm during the '90 's, 

 save in the production of a large number of Per- 

 cherons. 



J. H. Bamett, whose work has previously been 

 touched on, bred 40 Percherons at Chestnut Farm 

 during this period. He was one of the best farmers 

 and stockmen of central Iowa and his personal 



